Embargoed: State of the Union Text  —  We'll start respecting White House embargoes when they start telling the truth.  —  Embargoed Until Delivery of the State of the Union Address at 9:01 PM EST  —  January 23, 2007  —  STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS  —  As Prepared For Delivery

Webb Offers Blunt Challenge to Bush  —  Va. Senator Urges Change in Direction for Economy, Iraq War  —  Sen. James Webb (D-Va.) delivered a blistering eight-minute response to President Bush's State of the Union address last night, promising an aggressive challenge to Bush's Iraq …

'Scapegoat:' Scooter's Stunning Defense  —  A bombshell detonates on day one of the Libby perjury trial, as Cheney's longtime aide points the finger at Karl Rove  —  Libby leaving the courthouse Tuesday afternoon.  —  A WEB EXCLUSIVE  —  It was the last thing the White House needed …

From the President, a Two-Letter Jab at the Democrats  —  President Bush departed from the prepared text of his State of the Union address to graciously congratulate Nancy Pelosi on her history-making selection as the first female Speaker of the House.  Then he departed from the prepared text …

Watching the SOTU Speech on ABC  —  Did they really need to drag World News anchor Charles Gibson all the way down from New York just to do a stand-up intro with the Capitol dome over his shoulder?  George Stephanopoulos and Martha Raddatz were in separate locations, so it wasn't as though he was joining them in the studio.

Petraeus Calls Iraq Situation 'Dire'  —  "The situation in Iraq is dire," Lt. Gen. David Petraeus told the Senate Armed Services Committee today.  But he said the planned increase in troop levels and new tactics should enable American and Iraqi forces to provide security in Baghdad.

The State of the Union  —  The White House spin ahead of George W. Bush's seventh State of the Union address was that the president would make a bipartisan call to revive his domestic agenda with "bold and innovative concepts."  The problem with that was obvious last night — in six years …

The Lonely Optician  —  Does your love life comply with state regulations?  You may be surprised.  —  Say you live in Washington state, and you find yourself getting to know and becoming attracted to your dental hygienist—or for that matter your optician (that's the person who fits your eyeglasses …

Letter to the editor  —  Univ. can and should honor those who serve in military  —  To the Editor:  —  What is Yale doing to recognize those from Yale — graduates, staff, faculty — who have served in combat in the Persian Gulf or in Afghanistan or the other troubled areas of the world …

N Korea helping Iran with nuclear testing  —  North Korea is helping Iran to prepare an underground nuclear test similar to the one Pyongyang carried out last year.  —  Under the terms of a new understanding between the two countries, the North Koreans have agreed to share all the data …

Iran: Israel, US will soon die  —  Ahmadinejad: Be assured that the US and Israel will soon end lives  —  Israel and the United States will soon be destroyed, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday during a meeting with Syria's foreign minister, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) website said in a report.